Real Madrid, featuring several new signatures, approaches the new season with a new hope under the coach recently appointed Xabi Alonso, seeking to turn the page on a disappointing end in the Carlo Ancelotti era with ambitious “football.
The former midfielder of Liverpool and Los Blancos saw the Club World Cup in the United States this summer, there is a lot of work to do, while Paris Saint-Germain beat Madrid 4-0 in the semi-finals.
“Things will be different … We start from scratch,” Alonso said, although some of his conclusions of the tournament will undoubtedly influence his approach.
Madrid fans also had their first overview of the Basque tactician plans, as well as the English defender Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Alonso has shown tactical flexibility, using both a defense of four and three men, while his predecessor Ancelotti tended to stick to four in the back and was criticized for not having been adaptive in the games.
On the other hand, Alonso was eager to adjust things during the matches if he could, including the positioning of his players, and eager to impress his team, they must all help defensively and pressing.
“We need and want everyone to defend – the 11 players on the field must be involved defensively,” said Alonso during the tournament, specifically asked about the Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe star attackers.
“They must know how we want to support, and without that, things will be very complicated”, “ Alonso suite.
“Vini, Jude (Bellingham), Fede (Valverde), Kylian, those in advance, the defense must also advance.”
Alonso seeks to obtain the balance that Encelotti failed to reach last season after the arrival of Mbappe from PSG.
Although the French superstar struck 43 goals under Ancelotti, it was not enough to inspire a Madrid team which ended the season without major trophy, while Barcelona recovered the Liga as part of a triple domestic.
Mbappe’s disease with a stomach bug prevented it from Madrid group matches during the club World Cup, but during its first departure was in the destruction of PSG.
“We must be self -criticism, but it will also serve us as a guide to know where we have to improve”, “ said Alonso.
If Alonso can find the formula for Mbappe and Vinicius to work together without sacrificing too much possession remains to be seen, while the winger Roddrygo will not seem to be part of the trainer’s plans, playing a slightly partial role in the United States.
Goodbye and new faces
Madrid enters the season without Luka Modric in the team for the first time in more than a decade, the experience and the quality of the Croatian for a missing team missing cunning in the midfield.
The hope of Los Blancos is that the Turkish playmaker Arda Guller can prosper there and become a player who can control the tempo of a game.
“The coach tries to make us take more control of the game, and it’s better for me”, “ Said Guller.
The 20-year-old should be likely to play at the start of the season with Jude Bellingham away until mid-October after shoulder surgery to solve a long-standing problem.
Until then, a new arrival and an international colleague from England Alexander-Arnold may have established themselves in the side.
The rear, who joined Liverpool before the end of his contract so that he could play the Club World Cup, adds a new quality attacking on an overflowing Madrid team.
Madrid Hope Dean Huijsen could help solve certain problems in the back, while Alvaro Carreras and Franco Mastanuono also join, with Los Blancos spending more than 170 million euros (200 million dollars) this summer.
Dani Carvajal’s return of a long-term knee injury is another good news for a Madrid team who needs it after their 2024-25 campaign was more remarkable for club attacks against referees than for success on the field.
Alonso, who hopes to play a “ambitious” make a game with “Emotion and energy”wants the world again about Real Madrid football.
